6-Time Top 100 Dealer All County Music Impacts Industry and Community

Elizabeth Dale

In 1976, after running a successful accordion studio in New York, Mel Schiff and his wife, Sally, decided to open All County Music in the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida suburb of Tamarac. Having taken a brief hiatus from the music industry to relocate to Florida, the Schiff’s found that they missed the industry and were eager to return to it in their new community. Initially the pair found their niche in band and orchestra music and repair, and further flourished when they found a home supporting the local school music programs. All County Music prides itself on being a family run business with the Schiff’s son, Fred, taking over as President of the operation upon his parent’s retirement.

Counting nearly 50 years of service, All County Music has been honored with six Top 100 Dealer Awards, an award which highlights music product retailers that have gone above and beyond in reaching customers, growing their business, and positively impacting their community. Held annually at Summer NAMM in Nashville, Tennessee, the Top 100 Dealer Awards have been referred to as the “Retail Oscars” by Music Inc. magazine.

When asked about the keys to retail success, Fred Schiff indicated that the secret is relatively simple: to just pay attention, listen to your customers, and offer solutions. He preaches his philosophy on customer service to his staff at both his Tamarac and Pembroke Pines locations in Florida. In addition to this, Schiff offered advice to those who hope to open their own retail stores, simply put Schiff stated to “watch the details,” as a means to know the business at every level.”

In testament to the power of both their service to the community, as well as the healing powers of music, Schiff recently took on a new project: honoring band major and Marjory Stoneman Douglas victim, Alex Schachter. Schiff, along with NAMM Member Conn-Selmer, presented 50 local band students with trombones baring Alex’s name; Alex was a trombone player in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Eagle Regiment marching band. One student recipient shared with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that he had used his trombone to further honor Alex: “We decided to busk – that’s the art of street performing – so we did that to raise money for the Alex Schachter [Scholarship Fund] so kids could keep thriving and do what they love, which is music.” Read the full story here: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/tamarac/fl-ne-alex-trombone-tribute-20190511-fnxndx7l4zdi7d4e6w66j4wrpi-story.html

As Summer NAMM and the 2019 Top 100 Dealer Awards announcements are rapidly approaching Schiff is hopeful that All County will be recognized for a seventh time by the industry for the 2019 Top 100 Dealer Awards. Of the past recognition, Schiff shared, “It is an honor and a validation by our industry to know that our best practices are considered to be of high value.”

The 2019 Top 100 Dealer Awards will take place on Friday, July 19th starting at 6:00 pm inside the Davidson Ballroom of the Music City Center. For more information about NAMM’s Top 100 Dealer Awards please visit https://www.namm.org/summer/2019/top-dealer-awards